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HISA and HIWU Highlight “Day One” Changes on Eve of Expected Implementation of Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program

General

Ahead of the anticipated implementation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program (ADMC) on March 27, 2023, HISA and the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) remind stakeholders of key changes to expect nationwide. These changes will go into effect immediately pending approval of the Program regulations by the Federal Trade Commission.

HISA also calls attention to enforcement updates regarding the Racetrack Safety Program that will take effect March 27. The Racetrack Safety Program launched July 1, 2022.

ADMC PROGRAM

  • All Covered Horses are subject to the ADMC Program regulations, which includes adherence to the Prohibited List of Banned and Controlled Substances/Methods. Banned Substances are prohibited from being used, possessed, administered, or trafficked in relation to a Covered Horse at any time. Controlled Medication Substances are permitted for use or administration in a Covered Horse, except in close proximity to a race or Vets’ List workout. As specified in the Prohibited List, certain Controlled Medication Substances, corticosteroids, NSAIDs, analgesics, and local anesthetics are regulated in samples collected following routine official timed workouts.

  • Lasix will be permitted in all races, except for 2-year-old races and stakes races. Lasix will also be permitted, regardless of age or class of competition, during training, including Vets’ List works.

  • All test selection will be overseen by HIWU using an intelligence-based strategy. While HIWU has the ultimate discretion to select Covered Horses for testing, intelligence from “boots-on-the-ground” industry participants, including state stewards and veterinarians, and continued cooperation with state racing commissions and laboratory/scientific partners will also inform the test selection process.

  • All sample collection personnel, including test barn staff, will have been trained by HIWU staff on ADMC Program-compliant procedures. Sample collection processes will be facilitated by a HIWU app that will serve as a paperless documentation system. The app will be prepopulated with relevant race-day and Covered Horse information from InCompass and the HISA portal.

  • National whistleblower platforms will launch on the date of implementation. HIWU has partnered with RealResponse, the leading provider of safe and secure reporting platform for athletes, teams, and organizations. Through telephone, text message, or email, individuals will be able to safely and anonymously provide any information relating to potential ADMC Rule violations, including names of Covered Horses, trainers, owners, or test barns. Individuals will have the option to voluntarily provide their contact information so that the HIWU investigations team can follow up, if needed. The whistleblower phone numbers, text message information, and email address will be published upon launch of the ADMC Program.

  • All labs utilized under the ADMC Program are accredited by the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium, pending the implementation of the HISA Equine Analytical Laboratory accreditation, and will be held to the same performance specifications.

  • All laboratory results for samples collected under the ADMC Program will be reported to, and processed by, HIWU. The standard turnaround time for receiving Post-Race test results will be 10 business days after laboratory receipt of samples, and the standard turnaround for Vets’ List clearance testing will be five business days after laboratory receipt of samples.

  • HIWU will be responsible for distributing notices of Adverse Analytical Findings (i.e., positive test results) to Responsible Persons (trainers) under the ADMC Program and filing charges of ADMC Program violations against Responsible Persons.

  • Anti-Doping Rule Violations will be heard by members of the Arbitral Body, which is administered by JAMS, an independent third party. Controlled Medication Rule Violations will be heard by the Internal Adjudication Panel, whose members are selected by HISA and HIWU.

RACETRACK SAFETY PROGRAM ENFORCEMENT UPDATES

As of March 27, 2023, all horsemen – including all trainers and jockeys – must be registered with HISA and in compliance with HISA’s registration and racetrack safety requirements in order to race. Any individual who is not registered or compliant with HISA’s regulations will be subject to enforcement action and will not be able to race. Horsemen must complete three key actions to be able to race:

  • Register with HISA at hisaus.org/registration.

  • Pay any unpaid fines in the HISA portal.

  • Enter the dates of their latest physical and concussion baseline exams into the HISA Portal.

  • These exams must have taken place within the last 12 months. This requirement applies only to jockeys.

If horsemen are told they are unable to race due to non-compliance with HISA’s rules, and they believe that to be incorrect or a mistake, they should reach out immediately to the race day support line at 1-866-404-4472 and be prepared to provide their name and HISA ID number to resolve the issue.

About the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority

Established when the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was signed into federal law in 2020, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) is responsible for drafting and enforcing uniform safety and integrity rules in Thoroughbred racing in the U.S. Overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HISA was created to implement, for the first time, a national, uniform set of rules applicable to every Thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack facility. HISA is comprised of two programs: the Racetrack Safety Program, which went into effect July 1, 2022, and the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which is anticipated to go into effect on March 27, 2023.

The Racetrack Safety Program includes operational safety rules and national racetrack accreditation standards that seek to enhance equine welfare and minimize equine and jockey injury. The Program expands veterinary oversight, imposes surface maintenance and testing requirements, enhances jockey safety, regulates riding crop use, and implements voided claim rules, among other important measures.

The ADMC Program will create a centralized testing and results management process and apply uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across the United States. These rules and enforcement mechanisms will be administered by a new independent agency, the Welfare Unit (HIWU), established by Drug Free Sport International (DFS). HIWU will oversee testing, educate stakeholders on the new program, accredit laboratories, investigate potential ADMC violations and prosecute any such violations.

About the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) was established in 2022 by Drug Free Sport International to administer the rules and enforcement mechanisms of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. The ADMC Program will create a centralized testing and results management process and apply uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across all American Thoroughbred racing jurisdictions that HISA governs. HIWU will oversee testing, educate stakeholders on the new program, accredit laboratories, investigate potential violations, and prosecute any such violations. For more information, please visit hiwu.org.

Contact:

Alexa Ravit, Director of Communications & Outreach  
(816) 516-9572 
aravit@hiwu.org